Ludhiana: Months after construction, cracks surface on road along Buddha Nullah
The first phase of the road was completed around a month ago and the rest of the phases are in process and only a few stretches of the road are left
A recently constructed road along Buddha Nullah, stretching towards Chand Cinema in the North constituency, has developed cracks just months after its completion. Built at the cost of several crores, the road’s deteriorating condition has sparked outrage among area residents and activists, who are now demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter.
The first phase of the road was completed around a month ago and the rest of the phases are in process and only a few stretches of the road are left. Residents have urged the Municipal Corporation (MC) commissioner to form a committee and assess all the city roads which got damaged within two or three years. Seeking special inquiry in such cases, residents say the erring contractors should be blacklisted by the MC.
Around 3-km road alongside Buddha Nullah from Haibowal main bridge till Chand Cinema bridge was constructed at the cost of around ₹5.83 crore. Some parts of the roads are yet to be constructed towards Chand Cinema but the road which was built at the starting point along Buddha Nullah near Haibowal has developed several cracks.
The damaged road, which was part of an infrastructure development project along Buddha Nullah, was expected to enhance connectivity and reduce congestion in the area. However, residents allege that substandard materials and poor construction practices have led to the premature failure of the road.
“The road has started developing cracks within months of its inauguration. This is unacceptable, especially when taxpayers’ money running into crores has been spent on this project,” said Gautam, an irate resident of the area.
Local activists have also voiced their concerns, urging the authorities to take strict action against those responsible for the poor quality of work. “We demand a special inquiry to investigate the reasons behind this shoddy construction. Accountability must be fixed and the culprits must be punished to ensure such incidents are not repeated,” said Kuldeep Khaira, member of the Public Action Committee.
The issue has also raised questions about the monitoring and quality control mechanisms during the construction process. “This is a classic case of negligence. How can such a major project, funded with public money, deteriorate so quickly? We need answers,” said Tarandeep, another resident.
MC officials have assured that they will look into the matter. A senior official requesting anonymity stated, “We will assess the damage and initiate an investigation to determine if the contractor failed to meet the required standards. If found guilty, strict action will be taken, and necessary repairs will be carried out promptly.”
Despite repeated attempts, superintending engineer Sanjay Kanwar was not available for comments.
